Special Olympics National Games 2025

Siemens Healthineers is the first top sponsor of the Special Olympics State Games Bavaria 2025 Erlangen. This was announced by the Erlangen-based medical technology company and Special Olympics Bayern e.V. (SOBY) on February 20. With its commitment to the State Games for people with intellectual disabilities, Siemens Healthineers is sending a strong signal for diversity, participation and inclusion.

Mayor Jörg Volleth:

"The impressions and experiences that we have already been able to gather as a so-called Host Town as part of the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 were overwhelming. I am therefore very much looking forward to continuing and deepening the connections we made last year by hosting the Special Olympics Bavaria 2025 regional games. Because our goal is to make our city's sports program even more inclusive in the future."

Dr. Bernd Ohnesorge, President for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Siemens Healthineers:

"Siemens Healthineers promotes diversity, variety and inclusion in our daily interactions. We are proud to be a top sponsor of the Special Olympics Bavaria. Athletes will show impressive sporting performances. We are looking forward to the many athletes, coaches and teams of helpers and will actively support them. We want to actively live inclusion and set an example for diversity."

The partnership between Siemens Healthineers and SOBY will focus on inclusive encounters. Employees of the company will support the national games as volunteers. This will allow them to experience the unifying and inclusive power of sport as well as the joy and openness of the Special Olympics athletes. In addition to purely supporting the largest inclusive multi-sport event in Bavaria in 2025, corporate volunteering will also create awareness and recognition for the needs and achievements of athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Erwin Horak, President of SOBY:

"With Siemens Healthineers, we welcome a strong partner at our side. In particular, the personal commitment of the helpers from Siemens Healtineers will enrich the National Games. I know that after a week of Special Olympics with many positive and emotional encounters with our athletes, these helpers are the best multipliers for our cause. This brings more social participation and lived inclusion for our athletes. I am sure that the volunteers will carry this spirit into their working lives, into the clubs and into their families."

On December 9, 2023, the city of Erlangen and Special Olympics Bayern e.V. (SOBY) signed the framework agreement to host the Special Olympics Bavarian State Games 2025. Mayor Florian Janik and SOBY President Erwin Horak signed the agreement during an information event held by the sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities at the training institute of the Bavarian Association of Lebenshilfe. They thus sealed the cooperation.

Lord Mayor Florian Janik: "Open by tradition is the city motto and we live diversity here every day. I am therefore delighted that we will be able to welcome this colorful sports festival to Erlangen in 2025. It is a great opportunity to show what people can achieve together if we take inclusion seriously. And it is an incentive to continue breaking down barriers in all areas of life." As part of the contract signing, SOBY, organizer of the 2025 State Games, and the city of Erlangen as host officially announced the date of the event. The State Games for people with intellectual disabilities will take place from July 14-18, 2025.

Erwin Horak, President of SOBY: "We are delighted to have agreed to work together on the 2025 State Games today. With the city of Erlangen, we have a strong and reliable partner at our side. Inclusion in sport has been on the agenda in Erlangen for many years. The 2025 State Games are another important step on the way to greater participation of our athletes in sport. Together with the city, we are now setting out to ensure that we can all experience a colorful, joyful and, above all, inclusive State Games in Erlangen in July 2025."
Standing: Mayor Jörg Volleth (left) and Jürgen Auer, Vice President of SOBY. Sitting at the table: Erwin Horak (left) and Lord Mayor Florian Janik. Photo: City of Erlangen/Sports Department

A delegation from Special Olympics Bavaria (SOBY) with President Erwin Horak visited the town hall on April 5 for the official kick-off meeting for the joint project.

Lord Mayor Florian Janik: "Inclusion and participation are important guiding themes in our city - especially in sport. The fact that we will be hosting the Special Olympics State Games in 2025 is simply fantastic. We are highly motivated to be a good host and celebrate a new highlight in our sporting history."

Erwin Horak, President of SOBY: "We are delighted to now start preparations for the 2025 State Games together with Erlangen. We were impressed by the concept with which Erlangen submitted its bid in 2022. Now it's time to bring this concept to life. Erlangen is a city of sport. The sports landscape here already thinks and acts inclusively in many areas. We now want to win over this network as quickly as possible for the planning and preparation of the national games. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but with the city of Erlangen we have a strong host at our side. Our partner is just as committed as we are to sustainably strengthening genuine participation and freedom of choice for people with intellectual disabilities. We are looking forward to the games in Erlangen!"

Together with representatives of the city administration, Mayor Jörg Volleth was a guest in Bad Tölz on January 26, 2023. There, Special Olympics Bayern e. V. (SOBY) - the sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities in Bavaria - officially presented the city of Erlangen with a flag for the Special Olympics 2025 as part of the Winter Games.

Erlangen won over the SOBY board with its bid, which included in particular the sports facilities around the new Bürger-, Begegnungs- und Gesundheitszentrum (BBGZ). "In line with our city motto 'Open by tradition', we already offer a diverse and colorful range of sports in Erlangen. We would like to make this even more inclusive in the future and set important signals for this. It is therefore a special honor for us that the Special Olympics Bavarian State Games 2025 will take place in Erlangen and we are looking forward to meeting the athletes and having a fun summer games in our city," said Mayor Jörg Volleth.

Up to 1,500 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities and their delegations are expected in Erlangen for the 2025 SOBY State Games. Competitions are expected to take place in 20 different sports. The supporting program with opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletes' and helpers' disco round off the program. A total of 750 helpers will be on hand to contribute to the success of the event. The 2,500 or so participants can expect a colorful, cheerful and inclusive event that will make the unifying power of sport visible and tangible.